Thread: Electric drill bit sharpeners

The second machine (total tools) is a dedicated drill sharpener and will likely perform better than the does-everything-plastic-fantastic Ebay special. It has similar features to proper tool-room sharpeners like Darex.

Were you aware that Tormek make a drill sharpening attachment?

Originally Posted by Chief Tiff

The second machine (total tools) is a dedicated drill sharpener and will likely perform better than the does-everything-plastic-fantastic Ebay special. It has similar features to proper tool-room sharpeners like Darex.

Were you aware that Tormek make a drill sharpening attachment?

Not until last night when I googled up drill sharpeners in general and found it listed, so I chased it up and found it was $522!!!
There are a lot of professional grade dedicated machines around in the $400+ zone that I'd rather buy than their attachment, but in any case, that sort of money is not warranted for my level of need, so I'll probably spring for the TotalTools or SydneyTools type rather than the Ebay one.

If you are in no hurry it’s worth keeping an eye out on Gumtree, Marketplace and EBay for a used Drill Dr. Provided it hasn’t been abused, it might just need the sharpening stone but replaced which is a consumable.

I picked one up for $50 and within the last few months have seen similar on offer for under $100. Trick is to keep an eye out and get lucky.

I sharpen my bits by hand but admit I have been thinking about buying a sharpener especially for smaller bits ( < 6mm) - trouble is these grinders won't sharpen anything smaller than 3 mm.

When I looked into this a while back I learned that the cheaper grinders use stone wheels which, depending on use, will wear and eventually need to be replaced so its better if you can get a grinder with a CBN wheel.

Hare and Forbes current sale has $79 grinder that looks identical to the Total Tools grinder, and says it comes with a CBN (replacements cost $20) so I might get one while they are on sale. Maybe the Total Tools also one comes with a CBN wheel ?

I've had one of these cheap Bosch sharpeners for years. Get it out every year or so and go through the box of drills. Seems to work ok.

Bosch Drill Bit Sharpener IOB - Tool Exchange

I had the loan of the Tormek sharpener and in two words.......Don't bother. It has to be the single and most frustrating thing I have ever used. It might become easier with more practise but the aggravation of using it turned me off that idea.

Originally Posted by BobL

I sharpen my bits by hand but admit I have been thinking about buying a sharpener especially for smaller bits ( < 6mm) - trouble is these grinders won't sharpen anything smaller than 3 mm.

When I looked into this a while back I learned that the cheaper grinders use stone wheels which, depending on use, will wear and eventually need to be replaced so its better if you can get a grinder with a CBN wheel.

Hare and Forbes current sale has $79 grinder that looks identical to the Total Tools grinder, and says it comes with a CBN (replacements cost $20) so I might get one while they are on sale. Maybe the Total Tools also one comes with a CBN wheel ?

Just looking at them Bob, is the $20 replacement wheel the same as the one that comes with it? It kind of reads that it is an option extra/ upgrade?

Just after I wrote my last post I went to a hardware store which is not that far from H&F so I popped in to check out their drill $79 bit sharpener and ended up buying it.
Despite being mainly made of plastic it seems reasonably sturdy although I do wonder if the chuck will lasting term - maybe those who have had one for some time can comment.

I've used a similar sharpener a few years back several times at the mens shed so I didn't need the instructions, which BTW are complete gibberish. Apparently there are plenty of youtube vids showing how to use it if you get stuck

I'm a bit irritated by how much metal is removes to sharpened a bit compared to sharpening by hand where you can just take a mere whisker of metal off.
Hand sharpening will definitely be quicker for a quick touch up - I drill more metal than wood so touch up quite often.
Nevertheless it will be very useful for those small bits and to re-establish the tip profile on larger ones when the bit edges get chipped.
I think there is a way to finesse the thing to take off less metal but will need to play with it a bit more.

Originally Posted by BobL

I'm a bit irritated by how much metal is removes to sharpened a bit compared to sharpening by hand where you can just take a mere whisker of metal off.
Hand sharpening will definitely be quicker for a quick touch up - I drill more metal than wood so touch up quite often.
Nevertheless it will be very useful for those small bits and to re-establish the tip profile on larger ones when the bit edges get chipped.
I think there is a way to finesse the thing to take off less metal but will need to play with it a bit more.

I looked at one of those videos, and yes, there is an adjuster to set the depth. I too want it to primarily return the cutting edge to an optimal shape, and hand sharpen to touch it up when required.

I have jars of old P&N bits that have sat around in someone's shed, probably for decades, that a machine like this could revive, and that I'd never have the patience otherwise to stand around and try do do by hand. Even though I probably could!

I've a Drill Dr 750X and have to admit that I'm not too impressed with it.

It will certainly return the geometry of the bit, but the fact it has only an 80 grit stone is aggravating.

It would be nice if it had the option of a high-grit CBN

Using it is dead easy though.

Finer grit wheels are available.

Originally Posted by jabell

I looked at one of those videos, and yes, there is an adjuster to set the depth. I too want it to primarily return the cutting edge to an optimal shape, and hand sharpen to touch it up when required.

I have jars of old P&N bits that have sat around in someone's shed, probably for decades, that a machine like this could revive, and that I'd never have the patience otherwise to stand around and try do do by hand. Even though I probably could!

I also have dozens of old bits (mainly from FILs shed) tucked away in boxes, that I have started to set up as sets for specific tasks.

One specific set I have almost completed is of "shorts". These are made of the shanked side of broken bits and are used in my lathes and drill press to get a true vertical start as they don't wander around as much as a full length bit. Even using a centre drill doesn't always eliminate the wandering bit.

A second set I have started is for drilling brass which requires a zero or negative raked cutting edge - plenty of youtube clips showing how.
Another set would be for drilling plastics like acrylics which use a much more pointed end.

Then there's imperial and metrics and the set of 0.1mm increments - as usual it all gets out of hand very quickly.

Thanks Bohdan, I just saw those 180 grit on Amazon

Amazing what one can find after a 5 second search! I'm so lazy!


One thought/question, to all, especially those metal heads amongst us.... is there any point (haha) of:

1 - getting the geometry perfect with a machine such as the DD, then
2 - sharpening the tips (edges? word?) by hand using a high grit sandpaper


Just like our blades. It makes sense that a drill bit is nice and sharp, or am I missing something?


(curse this thread, now I feel like going and sharpening all my drill bits this arvo.... )

Originally Posted by jabell

I'm interested whether anyone has tried one of the Electric drill bit sharpeners that you see on Ebay for around $35~$60?

Whilst I've done it by hand for the past 40 years, my recent aquisition of a Tormek chisel & plane wet grinder has opened my eyes to the stunning difference a machine can make for speed and repeatable accuracy. So it has me wondering what it would take for a similar result with my many drill bits.

Here's a typical example
96W ELECTRIC MULTI TOOL SHARPENER DRILL BIT 13MM KNIFE SCISSOR 2XGRINDING WHEELS | eBay

Also an offering from TotalTools
DETROIT Drill Bit Sharpener Electric 3-13mm | Total Tools

Don't bother with the eBay product. It is complete rubbish. I bought the exact one but from Aldi and ended up binning it as I couldn't find the receipt to return it.